Film splicing apparatus



Jan. 16, 1945. J. BOLSEY 2,367,330

FILM SPLICING APPARATUS' Filed May 8, 1944 i?. Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 16, 1945.' J. BoLsEY FILM SPLICING APPARATUS Filed May 98, v1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.' Jac aes ose B Y y y u 0eme agent apparatus in winch .either the tableA plat i derstood from cinc 'embodiments Patented 16,1945

, PATENroFl-'ICE l FILM sPucmGArAnA'rUs Jacques Bolsey, New York, Y. ApplicatibnMay s, iotaserial No. 534,622-

, i2 claims. `This application is a continuatiorrin part of my United States patent application, Serial No.

385,634 entitled Film splicing apparatus,f nled on March 28, 1941. My invention'relates to nlm splicing apparatus.

Its main object is to provide a simpler inexpensive and eincient nlm'splicing apparatus.

' A further object consists in shaping the parts lin'such a way that as few dinerent parts as possible be necessary for this apparatus.

Still a further object of my invention consists in providing a nlm splicer, the partsof which can be shaped by stamping and bending operations only, and which includes'no great number 'of complicated castiparts.4

Another object lis to lprovide a nlm splicer which can easily be assembled, necessitating but very. little manual work. f Still another-object of my invention consists.

in making my new nlm splicer simple and inexpensive and, "nevertheless, efficient and precise in operation, andy durable in use.

Withl the "above objects in view, -I propose to combine in. a nlm splicing apparatus a base, supporting members on said base, a pair of tableV 4plates -for receiving a nlm.and a pair of cover plates for holding said nlm on said table plates, .all four plates beingsubstantially equally shaped and hingeably pivoted to said supporting mem-f bers. By making all four plates of the splicer equal, the costs oi' productionare substantially .reduced and the assembling of thenlm splicer is substantially facilitated. l f

I want to note that, although I mainly claim the use of fourequally shaped nlm plates, the ap- 'perided claims are directed Ialso to nlmspliclrg .0 y

or the cover plates are of equal shape# o'ugh "this construction is more expensive than a con-` struction' with four equally shaped plates, -as pro- V- posed above, it also has certain yadvantages and= is intended to-be comprehended within the scope of my present invention.

The novel features which' I consider as characteristio for my invention are set forth in 4par-v ticular in the appended claims. 'Iheinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its 'method of operation; together 'with additional objects'and advantages thereof, will be best unthe following descriptionof spewhen read in connection withl the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Figure 1 is a top viewof my new nlm splicer;

Figure 21s a side view.1seen in direction of arrowzofil'igurei: f

Figure 311s a back view, seen in direction'of arf,

1'0 Figure 8 is a'fragmentary perspective view. of

another embodiment of my splicer with a separate spring member, without'nlm plates;

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary plane views of modined nlm plates;

Figure 11 isa perspectivejview of another embodiment of my invention; and

imposed plates showing the relative position ofthe locating'pins, along line I2-I2 of Fig.' 1.

As shown in Figure 1, my new nlm splicer comprises a base I I, supporting members, i. e., two brackets IZ on this base.,a pair of table .plates I4 and. I5 for receiving a nlm, and 'a' pair ofcover f plates I6 and I 'I for holding the nlm on the t'able plates I4, and I5. All these plates are hingeably engaging shaft I8, carried'by brackets I2.' As shown in the drawings, the table plates |I I5 arearranged side 'by side, contacting each plates are hinged to shaft I8 in such a manner so ,each of the plates Il, I5 of the, table plate pair may swing separately, or the table plate pair pair may swing-as a unit around shaft I8. Thus,

eachA of the cover plates, or thecover plate pair sponding table plates,A or the tableplate pair.

As shown in the drawings, the two plate pairs,

diria!` direction of the nlm to 'be spliced, whereby splicingof thetwonlmends. '50 The plates of each plate pair arev pressed at their contacting edges I9 and 2li, respectively,

against each other, enabling shearing of the nlm by moving these plates, relativelylto each other# the means by which this pressure is attained will be descrlbedin a further partof the description.

Figure 6 is a cross-section, along line 6-6 of Figure' 12 isa cross section through two superother along their contacting edges 20. The cover that they are superposed on the table piates;

as unit, maybe swung to .and from the correi. e., the cover plate pair .and the table plate pair are arranged slightly out of register in 1ongitu of the filmstrips in order to get equal overlapping film ends, the mode of scraping off the emulsion and, finally, the mode of splicing together the lm ends thereafter, is the same one as employed in other well-known hand-operated film splicers.

.Therefore a detailed description of the mode of operationof my new film splicer seems unnecessary, especially as this mode of operations forms no part of my present invention;

In this connection, it also should be noted that I have not shown any scraping means, usually employed in splicing apparatus. These scraping means may be separate ones,` or I may use scraping means built .together with the splicer; in either case I may use scraping means of well known types.

Proceeding with the detailed description, I rst want to describe the Vfilm plates, the shape and arrangement of which form the main part of my present invention.

As shown in Figure 5, each of the film plates is provided with locating pins 2 I, adapted to engage the perforations of a film strip and properly locate said lm strip for the shearing off, scraping, and splicing operations. Theselocating pins are arranged in the usual plates are made of. A

As shown in the drawings, the Ifilm plates I 4, I5, I6, I'I, are hingeably secured to shaft I8 in such a manner that the faces of the cover plates I6', II, which are equipped with the locating pins, are facing those faces of the table plates I4, I which also are equipped with locating pins. This means that those faces of the cover plates and manner, preferably stamped and bent out of the sheet metal the film' ner; this is obvious, as according to my invention allfour plates are to be equaland so they have to be provided also with equally shaped hinges.

I want to note that it is of utmost importance for the center line 29 of the hinges ofeach plate to lie outside ofthe plane of the film plate; as shown in Figure 5, it is preferable to shape the hinges in such a manner that their center line 29 lies parallel to the plate face equipped with the locating pins 2|` at a distance off this face, which is equal to about the thickness of a normal lm strip. Thereby correct position of the film plates during operation is ensured, i. e. when a illm is placed between a cover and a table plate, these plates Will lie parallel to each other, contacting this film strip completely.

ArIt should be noted that the width of hinge 26 of table plate I5, lying between hinge 25 of cover plate I6 and hinge 30 of cover plate I'I, has to be slightly smaller than the distance between the inner edges of 'hinges 25 and 30, when plates i6 and I1 lie in juxtaposition-with their edges 2li contacting each other. v In the same manner, the width of hinge 30 of cover plate I1 has to be equal or less, preferably slightly less, than the distance between the inner edges of the two adjacent table plates which are equipped with locating pins.`

are facing each other and are contacting each other when in operative position. Therefore, I must provide in each of the plates small holes 22 corresponding to the locating pins 2| of the superposed corresponding plate. It is evident that these holes 22 must be arranged in such a.

manner as Vto be adapted to engage the corresponding locating -pins I6 when the`plates are in their operative position, ije., when the'cover plates are slightly out of register with the table vhinges of the table plates I4 and I5 when these plates lie in one plane, side by side, contacting each other at their ,edges I9. This fact is important, as it is possible only in this case to attain an efficient shearing action between the contacting edges I9 of the table plates, or the contacting edges 20.0f. the cover plates.

I want to note that I may arrange between the inner edges of hinges 26 and 30 a distancing sleeve 53 as shown in the embodiment shown in Figure 1l; in this case the' width of this distancing sleeve 53 has t0 be added to the width of the interposed hinge 26 or 30. This means that the width of the interposed hinge 26 or 3D,

and'thewidth of thisdistancing sleeve together haveto be equal or less, preferably slightly less,

than the distance between the inner edges of the adjoining hings of the other plate pair.

In Figure '7 a splicer base 2 is shown, withv stamped-out and bent-up supporting brackets 3|.

Y By bending the brackets from the sheet metal of plates, as described above andA shown in Fig. 12.

Each of the plates is provided with at least two 4hinges at one edge. AIn the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, each of the plates I4, I5, I6

and I1 is provided with ve hinges; these hinges are made by bending projecting' .parts of the plates into the required sleeve-shape. It is of importance that these hinges be spaced apart from each other in such -a manner that they are adapted to lie between the hinges of'another equally shapedplate if these plates are superposed, as described above, i. e., if the platesare placed one ipon the other with their faces equipped withlocating pins facing each other, and slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the film to be spliced.`

Thus, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the hinges 23, 2l, 25 ofthe cover plate I I andthe hinges 26, 21, and 28 of the table plate I5)-`respectively, are spacedV apart from each other in such a.. manner as to lie between each other when the plates are arranged as described above. Of course, the hinges of the other plates the base, these Abrackets will have a certain spring action. Therefore, when shaftl I8 is slidably, but .not rotatably, journalled in holes 32 in the brack- 4ets 3l, and the lm plates arranged on this shaft in the manner described above, the spring-like brackets will act against the outer edges of the hinges, pressing thereby the plates of each plate Y pair toward each other.

vide stationary brackets 33 instead of spring-like I4 and I1 should be arranged in the same manu brackets, secure shaft I8 to these brackets 33, and provide a separate spring 3l for pressing the plates against each other. This spring is'secured by screws 35 to base 2. I want to note that I also may use two spiral springs between the .brackets and the hinges instead of the leaf spring 34, shown in Figure 8.

It is well known to everybody that it is necesof absolutelyno importance .upward by hand.

equally shaped way that they be range a that the; hole of the sary to hold the overlapping cover plate '.I1 during'splicing in presseddown'posltiom it is also important to avoid unnecessary swinging of the table plate I which cooperates with the overlapping edge portion of cover plate l1.

For this purpose I provide.' as shown in Figure bers 36, equipped 'at their upper ends with snap-l ping buttons 31 and 38. These snapping buttons are positioned in such a manner as to strike against the lm plates when these plates are swung into operative position. In all four' plates I provide small holes or ape 6 in crosssection, two vertical supporting mem-A ures which oorrespond to. these snapping buttons 31 an'd 38. VThe diameters of these apertures, however, are-not equal; aperture 39 in over plate I6 and aperture 40 in table plate I4 are so large that they let -pass the snapping buttons 31' and 38v freely,

whereas aperture 4l in table plate l5 and aperture 42 infcover plate l1 have such a lsize that they engage these plates in a spring-like manner,

thereby holdingthem in pressed-down position.

It is evident that the force with whichthe snapping buttonsare holding down the plates has to be great enough to avoid spontaneous upward-swinging of the plates; it must be possible, however, to lift these plates by hand,with

out particular effort, against the action of this snapping button.

As shown in the drawings and described above,

are substantially equalshaped. They differ only in the shape of the 'I'his, however, is from thepoint of view ofthe presentinvention. I want to note that cutting ol the cornersof both tableplatesas indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 makes it easier to swing the cover plates must be considered that the cutting-oft operation practically does not complicate the process o f production of the nlm plates. Therefore, the ex- 1 pression equally shaped and substantially tended to cover also nlm plates Vwhich are subthe holes engaging corner portions of the plates.

Itshould be stressedthat nlmsplicers in which the plates are different, but are provided with are "also intended to equal hinge-like members be comprehended within the scope or my present invention.

As shown in Figures 9 and l0, lt-is, however, also possible to shape the tllm plates in such a identical nevertheless, bel swung up easily by'hand. For this purpose I provide in the embodiment shown -vin Figure 9 va projection at the iront edge of the plate and arrange lthe' engaging hole' 45 in this projection; have the same size .adapted to engage the snapping buttons.' .It is obvious that the projections ate Il comes to liewithinY the cut-out d anothcr. plate 5 2 ifv the latteris in the appended claims/is vin- -I-Iowever, this cutting-oil re` sults in only a minor diierence of shape; italso lting features that, from superimposed upon plate 5I in the manner described above.

It shouldv be, emphasized that all these modi' ilcations are only possible if the projections and the cut-outs are arranged in such a manner that they do not substantially -overlap. corresponding projections and It will be understood that each' of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also nd a useful application in other types of iilm splicer apparatus differing from the types described above.V

\ While I hav\e\il lust\rated and described the invention as ergtoidied in nlm splicers, I do not intend to be l ted lto the details shown, since ,various modifications andstructural changes may be made without departing in anyway from the spirit ofmy invention.

-Without further analysis, 'the foregoing will so fully revealv the -gist of my invention that current knowledge readothers can by applying ily adapt it for various applications without omitthe standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specic aspects of this invention,

and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equiva Letters Patent is:

shaped lmplates, each nf said nlm plates having a rear, a front, and two parallelf side edges, said plates arranged in pairs, the plates of one plate pair serving as table' plates and theplates of the other plate pair serving as cover plates, the plates of each plate pair contacting each other alongV neo said side edges, saidcover plate pair spperimposed upon said table plate pair slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the nlm to be spliced, at least two hinges se I a curedto the rear edge of each of said lm plates annually equal, `but diner only/iin the size or the snapping lbuttons and the in form and could,

inthis case, all holes may es thus facilitatingm lifting of the cover plates, although'theyare com-l "pl'etely identical inV shape.

larranged along "at least two hinges secured each of said film plates for hingedly pivoting saidlm plates` to said' supporting means, said hinges at the rear edges-of said four plates being equally shaped and equally said rear edges in such a manner as to lie adjacent to each other with their center 5b' lines in alignment and means keeping said hinges` ing axial shifting of said hinges and the plates permanently adjacent to each other and prevent# secured to the saine. l

2. In aiilm` splicer, a base, bracket-like supporting members on said base, a shaft secured to .said bracket-like members parallelly to-said base,

'four substantially equally shaped nlm plates, each of said plates having a rear, a front, and two parallel side edges, said plates arranged in pairs, the plates. ot one plate pair serving asV table plates and the platesof the other plate pair serving as cover plates, the plates of each plate pair contacting each other along one of said side edges,- said cover plate pair superimposed upon said table plate pair slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the nlm to be spliced,

hingedlyengaging said supporting shaft, said hinges attlie rear edges of said four plates being equally shaped and equally l arranged at such distance from each other as to In this case. hole Il Vand cutlie adjacent to each other with their center lines in alignment said supporting member being arranged in auch a manneras to keep said hinges saidsupporting adjacent td each cut-outs of superimposed plates.'

lence of the following claims. What I claim as; new and desire to secure by 1. Ina nlm splicing apparatus, a base, support-'- ing means onsaid base, four substantially equallyto the rear edge of of the other plate pair serving as cover plates,

the plates of each plate pair contacting each other along one of said side edges,. said cover plate pair superimposed upon said table plate pair slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the film to be spliced, at least two hinges secured to the rear edge of each of said lm plates for hingedly pivoting said film plates to said supporting means, said hinges at the rear edges of said four plates being equally .shaped and equally arranged along saidrear edges in such a manner as to lie adjacent to each other with their center lines in alignment, and pressure members at both sides of said hingesacting 'from one side' against the outer hinge ofone table plate and from the other side against the outer hinge of one cover plate, pressingthereby the single plates of each pair toward each other. v

` 4. In a film splicing`V apparatus, a base, supporting means on said base, four substantially equally shaped film plates, each of said lmf plates having a rear, a front, and two parallel side edges,

said plates arranged in pairs, the plates of one` said four plates being equally shaped and equallyV arranged along said rear'edges in such a tllanner as to lie adjacent to each other with their lcenter lines in alignment, spring members at both sides of said hinges acting from one side against the tacting each other along one of 'said side edges,

said, cover plate pair superimposed upon said table plate pair slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the film to be spliced, and at leasttwo hinges secured to the rear edge of each of said film plateshin'gedly engaging said supporting shaft, said hinges at the rear edges of said four plates being equally shaped and equally arranged at such distance from each other as to lie adjacent to each other with their center lines in alignment, and positioned on said supporting shaft between saidspring-likebrackets in such a manner that thesame are pressing from one side against the outer hinge of one table plate and from the other side against the outer hinge of one cover plate, forcing thereby the single plates of each plate 4pair toward each other.

7. In a film splicer, a base, bracket-like supporting members on said base, a shaft secured to cover plates, the plates of each plate pair contactouter hinge of one table plate and from the other side against the outer hinge of one cover plate, pressing thereby the single plates of each pair toward each other.

5. In a film splicer,Y a base, bracket-like supporting members on said base, a shaft secured to' said bracket-like members parallelly to said base, four substantially equally shaped film plates, each of said plates having a rear, a f ront,l and two parallel side edges, said plates arranged in'pairs,

the plates of one plate pair serving as table `plates and the plates of the other plate pair least two hinges secured to the rear edge of each of said nlm plates hingedly engaging said supporting shaft, said hinges at the rear edges of said four plates being equally shaped and equally arranged at such distance from each other as to Vlie adjacent to each other'with their center lines. in alignment, separate spring members at both sides of said hinges acting from one side d against thel outer hinge of one table plate and from the'other side against the outer hinge of one ward each other.

ing each other along one of said side edges, said cover plate pair superimposed uponsaid table plate pair slightly out of register in longitudinal direction of the film to. be spliced, at least two hinges secured to the rear edge of each of said film plates hingedly engaging said supporting shaft, said hinges at the rear edges of said four plates being equally shaped and equally arranged at such distance from each other as to lie adjacent to each other with their center lines in valign- -ment, separate spring members at both sides of said hinges acting from one side against the outer hinge of one table plate and from the other side against the outer hinge of one cover plate, pressing thereby thesingle plates of each pair to- 8. In a film splicing apparatus according to claim 1, that hinge of one of the plates of one of said plates pairs which is lying between the innermost hinges of the plates of the otherof said plate pairs having a width not greater than the distance between the inner edges of said innermost hinges.

9. In a 'lm splicing apparatus according to claim 1, that hinge of one of the plates of one ofl said plate pairs which is lying between the innermost hinges of the plates of the other of said plate pairs having a width not greater than the distance between the inner edges of said innermost hinges. l

10. In a lmsplicing apparatus according to claim 1, a distancing sleeve arranged adjacent to that hinge of one of the plates of one of said plate pairs which is lying between the innermost hinges of the plates of the other -of said plate pairs, said distancing sleeve and said `hinge tog'ether 'having a width not greater than the distance between the innered'ges of said innermost hinges.

11. In a film splicing apparatus acording to claim 1, a distancing sleeve arranged adjacent to that hinge of one of the plates of` onefof said -plate pairs which is lying between the innermost hinges ofthe plates of theother of said plate pairs, said' distancing sleeve and said hinge`to-,

distance between the inner edges of saidinnermost hinges.

f12. In a nlm splicing, apparatus ofthe type claimed in claim 6, a base, bent of sheet metal, v

spring-like' brackets, partly stamped out and bent-up of the metallic sheet of1 the base.

JACQUES BQLSEY. 

